Emily's Trial
by BlessedMay
Summary: Follow the story of Emily, Sam and Leah from beginning to end. Rating for language.
1. Chapter 1

**Present time**

An alarm was ringing. I tried to reach over and swat my alarm clock to make it stop that annoying beeping, but I found myself unable to gather enough strength for the move. People were shouting, someone was crying and over all that I could hear one single plea.

"Don't leave me Emily."

Sam. Leah's Sam. My Sam.

Why was he afraid that I would leave? I didn't plan on going anywhere right now. My body was achy and sore and my face felt like it was on fire. Just thinking about the burning in my face made the pain flare. Somebody cried out in agony and I realized belatedly that it was me. The sobbing seemed even louder now that I was aware of my surroundings. People were pressing at my face and I wanted to open my eyes to see what was going on, but that little movement made the burning in face so much more painful.

"Oh God Emily, please be okay."

_"Don't worry Sam!" _I wanted to say the words, but my mouth was incapable of motion. Hot tears built up in my eyes, but the people, doctors I realized, were now wrapping my face up to stop the bleeding.

Bleeding? Why was I bleeding? What happened to me? Why was Sam begging me to live, to be okay? There was a quick pain in my arm that was incomparable with my face and then all my thoughts drifted away in favor of the welcoming darkness edging in on my world.

OoOoOoOoOoOo

**Two months earlier**

"Emily!" I glanced around the airport in search of the slim figured woman that I called my cousin. A glimpse of her trademark black hair and I was running across the airport to leap into her arms. She laughed at my warm embrace and squeezed me tightly. I always admired Leah for her beautiful model-like looks, but now I grew an appreciation for her strength.

"Gawd Em! Did you gain twenty pounds since I last saw you or what?" I laughed openly as she set me down. Her perfect lips curved into a warm smile and she hugged me again.

"Actually, I was thinking that you must have been lifting weights in your spare time!" Leah grinned broadly before helping me carry my bags to Uncle Harry's awaiting car. The afore mentioned uncle was sitting in the front seat with a warm smile on his face. He popped the trunk for us so we could put the bags in the back.

"Very funny." She commented as my bags were packed into the trunk of the blue car. "I don't really have all that much time on my hands anymore, not with balancing school and trying to find time to hang out with Sam." Our black eyes met over the hood of the car and we shared a very female moment.

Leah has always been beautiful in my eyes. She is tall and shapely without being fat, her black hair drapes around her like an attractive cape, her cheekbones are high and her nose is long but not overwhelming. Her eye lashes are like individual feather dusters that carefully sweep across her face and remind you of her glimmering black eyes. It seems that even when school was at it's most draining, her love of Sam lifted her up and gave her this glowing presence that made me feel inferior just standing next to her.

"I can't wait for you to meet Sam." She said as we started our way home. She had set the station to something light and sappy that made Uncle Harry groan; I wanted to gag, but refrained from doing so for her sake. If I was as lovesick as Leah is now, I would like others to refrain from bursting my bubble as well. I smiled brightly at her and tucked a strand of hair behind an ear.

"I can't wait to meet him either. He sounds wonderful from the way you talk about him." Leah laughed lightly. Her laugh always had the capability to bring a smile to my face and I couldn't help but laugh with her.

"I know you're going to love him Emily." A soft, vulnerable look filled her eyes, "He's everything I've ever wanted." She took my hand and my heart swelled with the raw emotion I saw in her eyes. "I'm so glad you managed to steal some time away from the Makah rez to come down here and visit!"

We laughed joyfully in that moment before lapsing back into small talk about Sam, freshman year of college and life in general. It made me so happy to see Leah like this. I don't think anything could have taken away that love in her eyes just then, and I could have never dreamed that it was me who would take it all away.

OoOoOoOoOoOo

**Present time**

I slowly awoke to the sun shining in my face. I wanted to grab my pillow and cover my face with it, wanted to go back to sleep and never wake up. I made a move to turn on my right side but burning pain made me reel back in my bed with a scream hanging on the edge of my lips.

"Don't move Emily! You'll hurt yourself!" I gasped and gripped at my sheets. Would the pain ever fade? The person at my side choked back a sob before grasping my hand. "God Emily, you gotta get better. You gotta be okay."

The voice registered in my mind. It was Sam. Leah's Sam. My Sam. Deja vu made me swim in a sea of confusion for a brief moment as I recalled words very similar to that being spoken in the heat of the moment.

"Go 'way Sam." I whispered, my voice a rough croak. My mouth felt like it was stuffed with cotton and my face felt incredibly swollen, but I had to make him go. "G' back t' Leah."

"Leah doesn't need me right now, you do." His voice sounded dejected and raw. I cracked open my left eye and caught a brief glance of him wiping tears away furiously.

"Leah's always gon' need you, ya jerk." I turned away from him and tried to fight back tears of my own.

"Please Emily, please forgive me. I couldn't bear it if you hated me." I wanted to scream at him, wanted to tell him that it would serve his traitorous ass right if I hated him. But I couldn't; I could never lie to him like that, because some part of me was a traitor to Leah as well. I was many things: a traitor, a liar, a heart breaker, but I could never be a hypocrite. Not to Leah, not to him and not to myself. I wanted to cry, but I knew the burning in my face would come back if I did.

"Please Sam, jus' go 'way." I could hear him shifting around in his chair, trying to decide which course of action to take. In the end, it didn't matter if he stayed or if he left, because I was tired again and the darkness welcomed be back.

OoOoOoOoOoO

**Two months ago**

"Would you like something to drink Emily?" Aunt Sue asked as she entered the kitchen with me and Leah trailing behind like ducklings.

"No thanks." I answered as I followed Leah to her room. I was thankful that she was willing to share her room with me, but I suppose after being such close friends and cousins all these years had lent an easy comraderie between us. As we passed through the hallway, I glanced at each individual picture in my eagerness to absorb everything I could about the time that I was not here in La Push.

"Is this him?" I asked as I saw a picture of a handsome man on Leah's bed side table. When she nodded, I picked it up to observe him closer. He was beyond tall with the typical black Quileute hair and brown eyes. His skin was the loveliest shade of russet brown like Leah that made me jealous. My own skin was a lighter shade of copper that seemed almost albino compared with them.

"Goodness Leah, he's gorgeous!" She laughed at me before stealing the picture from my hands. She set it carefully on the table again and smiled so fondly that my heart wanted to break at her expression. My own heart ached for someone to call my own, but if that person had the capability to turn me to mush, maybe I shouldn't be so eager.

"You'll get to meet him tomorrow, I told him to stay away so you could have me to yourself today." She smirked in such a way that I knew that if he was here, her attention would be completely absorbed by the beautiful man.

"Hey Lee Lee!" Seth, Leah's younger brother came running around the corner and slid into her room. His youthful exuberance was enough to wear me out just watching him. He grinned at me when he realized I was in the room as well. "Oh hey Emily! When'd you get here?" He questioned me but didn't wait for an answer as he continued to talk to Leah. "Your boyfriend is on the phone!" Leah had lept off the bed and was on her way to the living room before he could finish his sentence. Me and Seth shared an amused look before following after the excited woman.

"Hey Sam!" Leah greeted her fiancee on the other line; her face was stretched wide with a smile. "Yeah, that's a great idea! No, don't be ridiculous." She laughed; it was a delightful sound that made me grin as well. Seth looked like he was going to be sick from observing her and I laughed at him as well. He stuck his tongue out at me and I ruffled his hair. "I'll see you then, I love you. Bye." She hung up the phone and sighed. I rolled my eyes and gave her a questioning look before speaking.

"So...?" Leah grabbed my hand and led me back to her bedroom. She closed the door on poor Seth before yelling at him to go play through the door.

"Sam thinks it would be a good idea to go for a picnic tomorrow. So me and you can watch him go cliff diving." She seemed thrilled at the prospect of seeing him in a state of undress so I shook my head and laughed.

"Whatever you say Leah."

OoOoOoOoOoOo

**Present time**

"Wake up Emily, you're dreaming." Someone was trying to gently shake me, so I obligingly opened my left eye to see who it was. I was surprised to see Leah standing at my bed side with a cautious look on her face.

"Leah." I gasped out her name like a prayer. I hadn't seen her in so long and I couldn't blame her for the distance. She pursed her lips and sat down beside me. Her eyes were guarded and her stance was tense. "I'm sorry," It was the first thing that came to mind, so I said it.

"Whatever." She said. She looked extremely uncomfortable being in my presence and I wanted to cry for the loss of our familiarity.

"For what it's worth, I never meant..." I couldn't speak because my throat choked up with restrained emotion. She began to shake her head and rose from the chair.

"Don't Emily, just don't." I wanted to explain everything to her, but there were limits to what I could say and even more things that would just cause more hurt than necessary. I began to cry then, my right eye was partially covered by a bandage and when the tears leaked out of it, the salty water seeped into my bandages. All the years we had spent building up a close friendship seemed to crack at this latest pressure, and I wondered if we would ever repair our relationship.

"I'm so sorry," I gasped out. The tears continued to fall in earnest and even as she left my room with tears in her own eyes I apologized. "I'm so sorry!"

OoOoOoOoOoOo

**Two months earlier**

"Where did you get that dress?" Leah asked as I exited the bathroom. I stroked the soft yellow dress with fondness.

"A little mom and pop store in Port Angeles." I sat beside my cousin and watched her brush her hair. I couldn't resist the urge to touch her hair, so I reached out and twined one long lock of that black wave around my finger.

"What are y.." She trailed off and watched me with an amused expression. She handed me the brush with a resigned expression on her face and allowed me to finish the job. I enjoyed brushing her hair, I always used to do it when we were children. It seems that age didn't steal away this particular pleasure.

"So where are we having this picnic?" I questioned as I finished the job. Leah rose and slipped into a pair of cute blue flats that matched her shirt.

"First Beach." She said as explaination before leading me out of the house. We slipped into Uncle Harry's car and left without anymore words. Chief Swan had picked up Uncle Harry earlier so they could go fishing, so me and Leah had the car to ourselves for the day.

"And where is this mysterious First Beach?" I asked her as we cruised down the open road.

"Next to a cliff." Leah's coy attitude was slightly annoying, but more endearing than anything else. I laughed before switching on the radio to something more enjoyable than the love songs of yesterday and today.

The ride was over before I knew it. Leah parked the blue car in a small parking lot that was empty. I wondered briefly if Sam was here yet before climbing out of the vehicle. We walked across the beach, talking to each other in excited voices. Leah was carrying our basket of goodies that both I and Aunt Sue had prepared earlier. Apparently Sam was a weakling when it came to homecooked meals, so for Leah's sake I baked some banana nut muffins. Seth had sighed dreamily when he had gotten one so we all assumed they were good.

"Sam!" Leah called out to someone. I glanced around and didn't see anyone, but when I raised my gaze to see the cliff in front of us, I saw a lone figure wave briefly before tossing itself off the edge. I choked back a scream and remembered what Leah had said yesterday. Sam enjoyed cliff diving. I thought it was a crazy hobby, but whatever floats his boat.

As we passed by a rock, we saw Sam's towel sitting on it. Me and Leah shared a mischevious look before we snatched the towel and started running up the cliff. We laughed to ourselves when we finally made our way to the blanket that he had set out earlier. We hid the towel behind one of the many large rocks and sat down, pretending innocence. When we heard a confused shout, we couldn't restrain our giggles. Leah looked delightfully pleased and I realized that she had stolen his jeans as well. I laughed at her expression before setting out some food.

"Leah!" Sam called out her name as he trudged the last few steps up the cliff. I didn't look up for fear that he wouldn't have much on. My cousin looked love struck and foolish, but I kept my thoughts to myself. She held his jeans in one hand as she rose to meet him. He stepped forward to take them from her and I caught a glimpse of strong legs. His calves were clearly defined and his thighs were as well. I blushed and lowered my gaze again; it wouldn't do well for me to be caught checking out Leah's fiancee.

"Give me that you tease." He commanded as Leah danced out of his grasp. I admired my cousin's gracefulness and chewed a bite of a muffin thoughtfully. Sam was good for her, he put a light in her eyes that no one else ever could. I laughed when Leah escaped Sam's clutches, making him slip on some mud and land on his rear end. I seemed to have caught his attention with my laughter and he turned brown eyes to meet my black ones.

His jokingly frustrated expression left his face, his brown eyes went wide. His shapely lips opened as he gazed at me as though he had never seen a woman before. I felt suddenly self conscious under his scrutiny, so I smoothed out my dress and brushed off some crumbs. I turned to look at him again and he still had not removed his gaze. My eyes unconsciously trailed lower and I admired his broad shoulders and powerful chest. Muscles rippled through his body and I bit my lip. I turned away again, trying to give him the hint that his obvious scrutiny was unnerving.

"Sam, do you want your towel or not?" Leah was irritated and rightly so. Sam seemed to be shocked out of his staring when she tapped him on the shoulder. He took his jeans and his towel from her gratefully and proceeded to dry himself off. Even as Leah took a seat beside me, he was still glancing at me.

"Why is he acting so weird?" I questioned her, wondering if this was a normal response from him. Leah's expression was hard and uncomfortable, so I shut up and continued to eat my muffin.

"I'm Sam." I was surprised to hear his voice so close to me, so I jumped slightly and turned to look at him again. He seemed abashed to have surprised me and the look of adoration in his eyes made me surpremely uncomfortable.

"Emily." I responded in a whisper, the last thing I wanted to do was encourage his behavior.

We all sat in a stilted silence for a long time. The day had started out bright and exciting, but now it faded in light of Sam's strange behavior. Leah was tense at my left and Sam was love struck at my right.

_"Love struck!" _I thought to myself. It explained everything, but it made no sense in context. We had just met, he was engaged to my cousin and did I mention that we just met? I couldn't stand the awkward silence anymore, so I rose and brushed myself off. Sam rose beside me, but I motioned for him to sit down.

"I think I'm going to go for a walk, why don't you two stay and talk for a while. I think you could use it." Sam looked as though he might protest my suggestion, but a conflicted look entered his eyes. He seemed caught between myself and Leah. I gave him a pointed stare to silently communicate my wish for him to stay.

As I walked away, I knew deep in my heart that something was very wrong. Yet, in spite of Leah's obvious hurt and my own discomfort at Sam obvious staring, I felt strangely complimented by his attention. A spark of something traitorous began to burn in my heart and I did nothing to quench it.


	2. Chapter 2

**Present time**

"Good morning Miss Young, how are you feeling today?" The doctor seemed perky compared to all my other visitors. Sam was sitting in the chair by my bed again, despite my protests, and his expression was down right depressed.

"I'm alright." I answered the doctor's question with no more feeling than I answered anyone elses. He seemed worried for a moment, but seemed to sense that there was some under lying tension between myself and Sam. Thankfully, he didn't comment on it and proceeded to examine my wounds. He lightly brushed my face a few times, which made the wounds flare uncomfortably. I gasped when he poked at one of the long lines. Sam responded by jumping out of his seat. The doctor and I stared at him, not sure what to expect. He seemed to tremble for a moment before he took a seat. His unnatural shaking made me remember particularly painful memories, so I forced myself to think of other things.

"Well, everything seems to be healing nicely. Just try not to put any pressure on the right side of your face." He looked prepared to put fresh bandages on, so I stopped him.

"Can I see them?" He seemed taken aback by my request, but I was persistant. Sam looked like he might protest, but I glared at him. He had no space to tell me what to do, not when this entire situation was his fault.

"Are you sure you want to see this, Miss Young? The wounds are quite fresh and I don't want you to be frightened." I shook my head almost violently.

"Give me a mirror." The doctor retrieved a hand held mirror for me and handed it to me carefully. As I lifted the mirror to see my face, Sam spoke.

"Emily." It was not denial of a request, it was a warning. That Sam was warning me that the wounds were a horror to see did not deter me in the slightest, but that traitorous part of me that ached to love Sam delighted in his devotion. I glared at him quickly before looking in the mirror.

What I saw scared me.

Three livid scars ran down the right side of my face from hair line to chin. One of those lines curved the tip of my almond shaped right eye down while another curled my mouth into a permanent grimace. The scars stood out so vividly against my copper skin. I blinked at the sight and could hardly believe that the creature in the mirror was me. I slowly set the mirror down before I dropped it. The doctor was talking to me, but I couldn't hear him. I was in a state of shock and I didn't want to hear anyone tell me that everything would be okay, that the wounds would heal and everything would be just dandy. I knew the lines would scar. I knew that I would be permanently marred by these living reminders that my world was forever changed, that Leah would never forgive me, that there were monsters that went bump in the night, and that I could never turn a blind eye to Sam again.

Someone took my hand and I pulled away. I grabbed the mirror from my lap and threw it at the wall, where it shattered in many pieces. I grabbed anything and everything I could before someone grabbed my arms and pinned me down. In my fury, I hit and scratched this person. It was only when I tried to bite them that I reeled back. I had bumped one of those wounds and the pain brought about clarity.

"Please Emily, please stop. I don't want to hurt you. I can't hurt you. Please stop. Please please, please love." Sam was whispering these words against my neck as he held me against the bed. I cried; great heaving sobs made me want to curl up into a ball. Sam held me though, at first to stop me from hurting myself, but now to comfort me.

That traitorous part of me that craved him, craved his love, craved his comfort, craved his very presence, thrived in his grasp. It was with little shock that I realized that the traitorous part of me that started this whole mess, was no longer a tiny flame, but now a roaring bonfire that scorched my heart and called to the man on top of me. It was the final betrayal to my cousin.

I was in love with Sam.

OoOoOoOoOoOo

**One month ago**

The front door slammed as Leah entered the house. I stared at her in silence, my eyes wide and my expression unsure. Her black hair swung behind her as she turned to look at me. The pain in her eyes made me hurt too. I couldn't help but wonder what Sam had done now. She stood stoically in front of the door and watched me for a change in expression. Her blunt side prevailed however, and her next sentence made me gasp.

"Sam and I are no longer getting married." The words were detached and her tone was blank, but her hurt was very real.

Her strength seemed to give out as she crumbled to the floor. I immediately raced to her side and pulled her into my arms. She put up little protest to my comfort, just accepted it as blandly as I knew she had taken Sam's refusal of marriage. I began to cry for her. My tears welled up in my eyes and raced down my smooth skin to drip into Leah's black hair. She tossed me off of her then, a refusal of pity. I landed on my rear end in a disgusting mimickry of the first time I met Sam.

"This is all your fault." Her tone was caustic and burned away at my heart. I denied the accusation by shaking my head, but neither of us were convinced. Somehow, my presence had dissuaded Sam from his original intentions of matrimony with Leah.

"I didn't mean to, I never ever would want this!" I responded to her as I stood up. She rose as well and glared at me.

"You liar! You just want him for yourself! How could you do this to me? How could you steal Sam from me?!" I sobbed harder and shook my head. Words were beyond me at this point. She reached behind her and pulled the door open.

"Just go! Get out of here!" She grabbed my arm and nearly threw me out of the house. I put up no defense; I just ran.

Nature's features blurred as my tears flowed from eyes and down my face. I ran through the thick woods by the Clearwater's home. Branches slapped at my body and bushes made me trip. I fell many times, but I continued to push myself foward. I deserved this pain, I deserved to hurt for making Sam betray Leah. It was my fault, whether I wanted it or not.

I collapsed at last, no more energy to run. I crawled for a few moments before curling up under a tree. The trees were so thick that no sun could reach me in this dark place. The soil was damp from recent rain and the mud soaked into my jeans and t-shirt.

"Emily?" It was Sam. Leah's Sam.

_"My Sam." _A very traitorous part of me whispered. I curled up into a ball and tried to pretend that he wasn't here. It was pointless however, because he scooped me up into his arms and cradled me against his chest.

"Emily, sweet Emily, what's wrong?" I ignored his questions and tried to pull away. I had no strength left to truly fight him, but I did slap at his chest a few times. He took my fight in stride and lightly kissed my forehead.

"Stop crying love, please stop." He whispered the words against my ear and this time I didn't shiver from the cold. He seemed to realize the difference and let his lips trail from my ear, across my jaw, to my lips. He placed a delicate kiss on my lips that made me gasp. He deepened the kiss by slipping his tongue into my mouth. We clung to eachother and kissed ardently. We were absorbed in eachother until he moaned into my mouth.

_"Traitor." _My mind whispered in defiance to my heart. I pulled away from Sam and his lips descended to my neck. The new contact made me cry out in pleasure. I was betraying Leah, I shouldn't let him kiss me. But his touch made me feel alive and his kisses were so perfect.

"I love you Emily." He said against my neck. I froze.

"What?" I asked, completely floored by his words. I wondered if I misheard him. He lifted his heads and kissed me lightly on the lips again. I was almost lost in his warmth, but I pulled away and questioned him with my eyes.

"I love you." He said it as though it was as natural as saying the sky is blue or something. I crawled out of his grasp and began to shake my head.

"No, no, no!" He tried to pull me back into his arms, but I resisted, so he came to me. I collapsed on my side and he curled against my back. "You can't love me, you're supposed to love Leah. Don't do this, don't do this Sam, please."

"Don't love Leah, not anymore. All I want is you." I sobbed and he kissed me. He kissed away my tears and stroked my lips softly with his thumbs like it was the most natural thing in the world. I was a traitor to my cousin. If anyone deserved to suffer for this situation, it was me. I should fight harder, should make him stop, should do anything but kiss him back and pull him into my arms and silently ask him to kiss me again and again and again...

OoOoOoOoOoOo

**Present time**

I was sitting up in bed talking to Seth when Leah entered the room. She gave her brother a pointed stare and he left so she could take his seat. I watched her and once again admired her. She was the one who was betrayed by both cousin and fiancee, yet her face was streak free whereas mine looked red and splotchy from the tears I cried almost every night. We sat in silence, myself gazing at her smooth, blemishless face and her watching my bandages as though they might peel up and reveal the three livid wounds.

"Do they still hurt?" She asked, obviously referring to my face. I frowned and felt the pull of one of the cuts.

"Do you still hurt?" I responded in turn, referring to our betrayal.

"Of course." Her answer was enough for both of us. It was awkward to be sitting there with her and not being able to talk with her as we always used to. It was hard enough for me to come to terms with the knowledge that Sam loved me and sometimes transformed into a wolf, but dealing with Leah's unspoken pain was almost worse.

"Where's your watch dog?" She questioned. She watched for a change in my expression, but I was used to Leah's games by now. She had turned from a sweet, fun loving girl to a cold, cut off woman over night. I knew heart ache could transform a person, but I never thought it would make Leah hate me.

"He's getting something to eat," I didn't mention that I had had to force him to leave the room because he didn't want to abandon my side even for a few moments. Leah nodded and turned to look out the window. I followed her gaze and admired the emerald shrubbery that characterized La Push.

"I'm sorry." I turned to face Leah, surprised to hear those words coming from her mouth.

"Why?" I questioned, feeling as though it was me who should be apologizing. But then again, I had already done enough of that.

"For blaming you." She lowered her dark gaze to meet mine and I valued the moment. "It was not your fault that Sam decided to cancel the wedding, that he decided that he no longer loved me," She choked up and seemed unable to continue speaking.

"I forgive you," I told her, taking her dark hand in my own. "I never blamed you either."

OoOoOoOoOoOo

**One month ago**

Sam took every opportunity after the night he saved me from myself to meet me. The places and times varied, but his attentions were consistant. Leah refused to share her room with me, so I ended up sleeping on the couch. I was thankful for the couch though, it would have been much worse to not be accepted in the house at all. Leah's behavior was getting more vicious and less cautious; she took every opportunity to tell me that everything was my fault and that she hated me for what I had done. It seemed unfair to me that I should suffer for Sam's unusual change of heart, but when my heart began to call for his attention to escape Leah, I knew that I deserved every word.

I was sitting on the porch, staring into the woods when Sam showed up. He stepped out of the woods in a pair of jeans and nothing else. Even from the distance I could easily admire his broad, russet colored chest and crave him. His smoldering brown eyes met mine and I longed to be in his arms. I rose to meet him as he approached when the front door opened behind me.

"Well aren't you two the perfect picture of illicit lovers." Leah's furious words cut my heart deep. I turned to meet her gaze with sad black eyes, but she was glaring at Sam as though her life depended on it.

"Lee Lee." He whispered her name and his voice carried on the wind. She reeled backwards and snarled inhumanly.

"Don't call me that!" She stormed down the porch, passing by me without a glance. She slapped him hard across the face and whispered her next words, "You lost all rights to call me that long ago."

Nobody did or said anything for a very long moment. I was too stunned by their interaction to really know what to do and Sam seemed to be waiting for something. It became apparent when Leah cried out and grasped her hand. It was swollen and red. She looked at him as though she couldn't believe that she had really just broken her hand against his face. Sam tried to take her back into the house, but she refused his help and walked back to the house herself. He followed behind her, but stopped at the bottom of the porch. Leah turned back to us and saw us standing next to eachother, waiting for her next move.

"Go away Sam, and take your little slut with you."

OoOoOoOoOoOo

**Present time**

Sam stayed with me for the remainder of my stay in the hospital. When I signed my release forms to get out of the place, he drove me back to his house, because neither of us was sure if back to the Clearwater's was a good decision. Though Leah and I had finally apologized for everything, things were still tense between her and Sam. I suspected that things would remain tense for quite some time. I just hoped that time could heal their wounds as well.

As much as I hated that Sam had turned away from Leah and broken her heart, I was undeniably thankful that he was with me now. His warm embrace was the most comfort I was allowing myself nowadays. When we reached his house, he helped me out of his truck and pulled me into his arms. I lingered in his embrace, breathing deeply of his familiar scent and treasuring every moment with him. I knew that we needed to have a talk. A person doesn't just get attacked by a giant wolf that used to be your boyfriend and not require an explaination. He led me into the house and sat me down on his couch. I sat beside him and waited; I knew without words that he was searching for the right thing to say.

"You know the stories of the Quileute." It was a statement, not a question, but I nodded anyways. "The stories of the spirit warriors," Again, I nodded, "They're true."

"What?" It was a stupid question, but I seemed baffled nonetheless. Sam smiled at my expression and gently kissed the space between my eyebrows.

"The spirit warriors live today. The ability has been passed down through the generations and now I'm living proof." I stared at him; he was speaking, but I wasn't sure his words were really making sense.

"I don't understand." He frowned; his frustration evident.

"I don't know how to explain it, but I can prove it." He took my hand and led me into the woods behind his house. When we were sufficiently far enough away from the house, he began to strip down.

"Sam! What are you doing!" He offered no explaination, but continued to remove his clothes. He pulled his shirt off and tossed it to the side before kicking his shoes off with ease and then shrugging out of his jeans. I blushed when I realized he wasn't wearing any underwear. I turned away to avoid looking at his nude figure.

"Emily, you need to watch." I blushed further and refused to look at him. "Emily." The way he said my name commanded my attention, so I turned back to him. I had admired his body before, but now I found acute appreciation for it.

"My God, you're beautiful." I didn't realize I said the words out loud until he laughed lightly and took me into his arms. He caressed my lips with his own and held me close.

"Thank you love." He kissed me again before pulling back. He breathed in deeply before relaxing. His body shook briefly before his body seemed to explode. There was no blood, guts or anything frightening, but one moment my Sam was standing there, then the next a horse sized wolf was in his spot.

I backed away slowly, not sure what was going on. Stories and legends flew across my mind as the big wolf approached me slowly. He lowered himself to the crowd and crawled to my feet. I collapsed to my knees and found myself eye to eye with the great beast. I was surprised to find Sam's brown eyes staring at me from the creature. One word came to mind: werewolf.

"Sam." I said his name before running my hands through his beautiful black fur. The fur was soft and warm; I hugged him close to my body.

I didn't care then that he had betrayed Leah by falling in love with me, because if the stories of the spirit warriors were true, then the stories of Taha Aki and the Third Wife must be true as well. Somehow I knew that just as Taha Aki fell in love with his Third Wife and wished to spend the remainder of his days with her, Sam had done so for me. I was his Third Wife and he was my Taha Aki. If eternity came and went in that moment, I wouldn't care, because all I cared about now was Sam.

OoOoOoOoOoOo

**Three weeks ago**

"Backstabbing bitch." Leah muttered as she passed me by. My shoulders slumped and I fought the urge to cry. It seemed as time passed, Leah grew more bold and more vicious with her insults. All of our former comraderie was abandoned and discarded now, all she wished to do was cause me pain. Unfortunately, she was doing a really great job. Bitterness grew in my heart until I felt overwhelmed.

"He doesn't love you, he just knows you're easy." I closed my eyes and tried to pretend that she wasn't talking to me. When we were alone, she took the opportunity to speak straight to my face instead of whispering secrets when she passed by.

"You're just a whore Emily, go find your errant lover and get out of my sight." I couldn't take the verbal abuse anymore. I opened my black eyes and stared at her with the rage of an insulted Makah Indian woman.

"Blame him and blame yourself Leah Clearwater, but stopping blaming me for your denied love." My words cut her quick and I took the chance to escape the house.

I didn't bother with a car, I knew where Sam would be right now. I knew where to find him. Lately, we had developed a pattern to our meetings. I would be early, but that was okay, I could use the time to find the right words to make him stop meeting me, to make him stop loving me. I was deep within the woods within moments. I arrived in our meeting area even quicker. He was not there yet, so I took a seat on a fallen tree and made myself comfortable. When he finally arrived, he seemed even more gorgeous in my eyes than the last time I saw him. Perhaps it was because this would be our last illicit meeting.

"You're so stupid." I told him, rising from the tree. He seemed surprised at my words but I didn't care. He tried to take me into his arms but I pulled away and continued speaking. "I was just here to visit Leah and help her finish planning your freaking wedding, but oh no! You just had to go and do something stupid like fall in love with me!" I pushed him away when he tried to take my hands. "No, don't you even dare try and disuade me now Sam Ulley! I am very angry with you."

"Emily..."

"No! I want you to leave Sam, I want you to leave me and never come back. I don't want to see your face every again!" I began to sob as I ranted at him. My heart ached at the thought of him truly leaving and never coming back to me. I loved him, I couldn't live without him, but I needed him to leave so Leah wouldn't hate me anymore.

"Emily, what has Leah been telling you? What has she said to you?" I continued to crying and let him pull me into his arms. I couldn't do it, I couldn't make him go away.

"She hates me, says I'm a traitor, a backstabbing bitch." He started to shake and I didn't know why, but I continued to speak. "She says I'm a whore and the only reason you want me is because you think I'm easy." He threw himself away from me and gave a frightening roar.

"How _dare _she!" He screamed. His body shook violently as he took a step closer to me. Something flashed behind his eyes in a brief second, then he exploded as his hand came down to rest at his side. His broad hand transformed into a frighteningly large paw and then his claws ripped across my face and tore me open.

I stumbled backwards; blood dripped into my right eye, blurring my vision. I was confused, where had Sam gone? A large wolf was now standing in front of me. It was impossibly huge and looked, if possible, afraid. I stumbled again before collapsing backwards. I could taste blood in my mouth and I was dizzy. Colors were running together and my thoughts were jumbled.

"Sam?" I asked for him, but he wasn't there. All I could think as darkness crept into my vision, was that I wanted Sam and he wasn't there.


	3. Chapter 3

**Five years after the confrontation with the Volturi**

"Sam?" My dark haired husband peeked out from the nursery with our son Eli on his hip. Eli's twin brother Ezekiel toddled behind his father as Sam approached me. I smiled warmly as I lifted Zeke from the floor. His wrapped his chubby arms around my neck and buried his face in my hair.

"Yes love?" Sam answered me, leaning foward to steal a kiss from my lips. Eli squealed and clapped his hands. He had a strange habit of cheering whenever Sam and I kissed.

"Do you know when the boys will be here?" This was something I usually knew, especially when were planning a cook out, but some how, the time had evaded me.

"They said some time after 5:30." I frowned and felt the pull of one of my scars.

"That's helpful." I commented sarcastically before heading back into the kitchen. I set Zeke down so I could remove the banana nut muffins from the oven. I heard the front door open and heavy foot falls follow after.

"Mmmm, are those banana nut muffins I smell?" Seth's voice came from the doorway, so I set the pan down and turned to see him. He had grown so much in the past five years, it was almost impossible to see the gangly youth that he used to be in his gigantic form.

"Yes they are, but you don't get anything yet." He frowned pitifully and tried to give me the puppy dog look. "Ah ah Seth, that look doesn't work on me anymore! If you want anything, you have to wait." He smiled at me and gave me a warm hug. He pulled me in tight and kissed my left cheek.

"You're the best Emily." He whispered when he pulled away. I was confused until I saw the steaming muffin in his hand. I grabbed a handy spatula and chased him out of the kitchen, landing a few hits every once in a while.

Laughter from the living room gave me pause. I turned to see who else was here and saw Leah. She was still beautiful; time could never steal that from her. Her long, black hair was pulled into a loose pony tail and her strong, yet feminine features were vaguely enhanced by the light touch of make up. Her black eyes peered at me from across the room and I admired her, not for the first time, for her resiliency. This woman, who used to be my best friend, had conquered all with only a few wounds along the way.

"Leah." I whispered her name like a prayer. It still amazed me that she could forgive me for my harsh words. I think it amazed her as well that I had forgiven her too.

"Emily." We stood across from each other for a long moment before grasping each other tightly.

"Hey! Do I get a hug too?" Embry was standing in the doorway behind Leah, but I didn't pull away. I merely stuck my tongue out at him and hugged Leah tighter.

"You can let go now Emily." Leah whispered in a teasing tone. Even as I pulled away and stared into her obsidian eyes and spoke again, I still wished to linger in her embrace.

"Never."

And we both knew I wasn't talking about the hug.


End file.
